


The Way

by catastrophage



Category: Fear the Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Character Death, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Love Confessions, M/M, Post Season 03
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-05
Updated: 2018-05-05
Packaged: 2019-05-02 09:07:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14541384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catastrophage/pseuds/catastrophage
Summary: "Where next? I'm not going back. Not there. 'place is not good for us."They were sitting in the red pickup truck. Nick furrowed his brows, not happy with the turn this was taking. "Then you tell me where we're going." Troy started the engine. "Far away from here," he said.





	The Way

**Author's Note:**

> This is not a fix-it, but much rather a fix-it and then break-it.  
> You have been warned. I'm sorry.  
> I just love that song too much.

**The Way**

_"Where next? I'm not going back."_  
_"Don't be a chicken, Troy."_  
_"You said it yourself. We can't go back. Not there. 'place is not good for us."_

They were sitting in the red pickup truck, one of the things Troy had been able to retrieve from the ranch when the herd came. "You don't want me to stay and help Madison, and I don't want you to return to the _Matarife._ "  
Nick furrowed his brows, not happy with the turn this was taking. They had agreed to warn his mother, but it had been his intention to return as soon as possible. The _bazar_ was his natural habitat. "Then you tell me where we're going."

Troy started the engine. "Far away from here," he said.  
Nick stared at the landscape, sulking. Life would be easy at the _bazar_. They both were good with their machetes, and zombie heads were worth a lot. They would never have to worry about going to bed hungry, they would rent a small room and just-"We don't need that place," Troy interrupted his thoughts, as if he had read them.

Both went quiet for a while. Troy drove north from Mexicali and Nick just stared at the fields and wilderness. Eventually he spotted a road sign to Blythe. _"Troy,"_ he started with warning tone in his voice. "We're not returning to the ranch."  
The elder stepped on the breaks and the truck came to a rough halt. He stared at Nick as if the younger had lost his mind. "Why not?"  
Nick was about to say something, but then closed his mouth again. He didn't even try to argue. He reached for the door and pushed it open, but didn't leave yet. He tried answering again, this time finding the right words. "It's overrun. It's lost." Troy just grinned. "You've taught me how to move amongst them." And since Nick didn't seem to understand, he added - "We can clear it. Start over. What you've shown me at the _bazar_ , I think we can make it."  
Nick left the car and slammed the door shut. " _No_ \- Troy! I'm not going back."  
Troy followed him, his grin vanishing as he realized Nick was serious. "Tell me what's your problem."  
"My sister almost died in that hellhole." Nick had his way of saying emotional things without sounding emotional, and it drove Troy crazy. He wasn't half as good at hiding his emotions, not in front of Nick. "Yeah? My brother actually died there. My father, my whole family, all my friends. Everyone I've ever known died there, _so what?_ " The last words he was almost yelling. His eyes had an angry spark in them, he had raised his chin, tilted his head, like he always did when he was angry.  
This was too much for Nick. Just the two of them, and they already started fighting before they even reached their destination? He shot the other man a glare, before turning around to leave him. He could hear a loud thud when Troy's fist hit the car frame, but he didn't turn around.

"Nick," he heard him call from behind. " _Nick!_ Don't leave me!"  
Nick couldn't help grinning, but he didn't turn around. Troy would not have his way just because he felt sorry for himself now. "Don't fucking leave me!" His voice was music to Nick's ears. Troy needed him, he was already sounding desperate, and they still were close enough to hear each other. And Nick was heading back to Mexicali, and he didn't care if it would take him until midnight - or even the next morning - to reach it. Troy would follow him.  
After twenty minutes down the road, the red pickup approached him from behind. He caught him up and turned to block his way. Troy opened the passenger door. "Get in, we're not going home." His eyes were soft again, softer than before. He looked like he was pleading him to stay by his side. "But we are going north. Not back to Mexicali."

The younger didn't know why he accepted it. Maybe he didn't fancy wandering through the desert at winter nights alone, it could get pretty cold out here. Or maybe...  
"Why do you want me to stay?" They had been driving for almost an hour, when Nick asked him. They had left Blythe to the east, not driving anywhere near the ranch. Troy looked at him from the side. "Isn't it obvious?" Troy said quietly. "I love having you around."  
"You love me," Nick deadpanned. It was almost the same conversation they had on their way to Mexicali. Just this time Nick switched the roles. "I guess I do," Troy answered, with a honesty Nick didn't expect. And it broke the spell. Nick could finally relax again, he even opened the glovebox to take out Troy's CDs. He didn't know any of the bands, wouldn't have listened to them in other circumstances, but he figured it would help the mood. Troy's smile was worth the torture to his ears.

They made a generous detour around Phoenix, they didn't want to reach the city. It was safer on the highways. At one town they stopped to refuel the car, and by then they had already started talking and joking again, like the good friends they had become. Friends or... Nick tilted his head thinking about it, while Troy got back into the car. "Hey Troy," he said with a cocky grin. "I've never told you."  
The elder was waiting for the rest of the sentence, but it didn't come so he asked. "Told me what?"  
Nick leaned over and pressed a kiss on his lips. "That you've been right," he answered, sitting back on his seat. He had stayed because he loved him.  
It was weird how it just had happened. He had tried to hate him, to mistrust him. Had considered killing him. And now they were sitting in his car together, heading somewhere north-east, not caring about the rest of the world as long as they had each other.

They had reached New Mexico by nightfall. They barely took breaks, and they had started guessing where they were going. Would they decide to stay anywhere? _Maybe a house in the mountains,_ Troy had said and Nick had liked that. A small house away from the cities, absolutely not the life Nick had envisioned when he had thought about his future. He was born and raised in the city, he had always thought he needed the tall houses and busy crowds of people to vanish between. But then he had been to Baja and Troy's ranch and seen what life could be like outside the turmoil, away from the busy buzz of lights, machines and people. He had seen a chance to heal.  
Nick turned his head to look at Troy, watched him drive with that peaceful smile on his lips. They both could heal if they found themselves a mountain house. Far away from their past.

Nick had not looked at the streets when it happened. Troy must have nodded off behind the wheel, he hissed _"Oh shit!"_ and tried to steer back onto the street, but it was too late. Nick just stared at Troy at the moment of impact, thinking how much he liked him, before losing consciousness.

Snow covered the ground in small patches. The highway was quiet, the only car on the road was a red pickup truck, ruined when it hit a power pole. Blood stains had dried on the broken windshield. The car battery was flat, the car radio had perseveringly played the CD until the power went out. Two young men were walking away with slow steps, no words on their lips - they didn't need to ask to know what the other was thinking. They left the car behind and wandered off, headed north without a destination in mind.

**Author's Note:**

> _You can see their shadows wandering off somewhere_   
>  _They won't make it home but they really don't care_   
>  _They wanted the highway, they're happier there today..._   
>  _(Fastball - The Way)_


End file.
